COVID triple play
L.I. hosp gives 3rd shots to high-risk patients
One of the country’s biggest cancer centers started giving third doses of COVID-19 vaccine to patients on Tuesday, an effort to drive home “a profoundly and deeply important message for the public,” said Dr. Richard Barakat, director of the Northwell Health Cancer Institute.
Two patients got jabbed at the New Hyde Park, L.I., site, days after health officials gave the green light to third doses for high-risk people and as authorities were expected to recommend third doses for most Americans soon.
“I’ve had two shots already, and I’m willing to get the booster shot,” Brooklyn resident Arthur Magee said as he got jabbed. “I think it’s important to protect myself, my wife and daughter.
“I’ve had no side effects whatsoever from the shots, and I’m very willing to get this one,” added the 81-year-old accountant.
Cancer patients are among the people most vulnerable to
COVID after receiving full doses of vaccine, according to Barakat.
“We think that the most vulnerable cancer patients are the ones that were recently treated or are actively being treated, and the best way to protect those patients is to give them a third dose of the vaccine,” he said.
On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration allowed third COVID doses for people with severely weakened immune systems. Vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna come in two shots.
For people who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the FDA is still weighing whether to recommend an additional shot.
The White House is reportedly moving to authorize third doses for most Americans.
That could come as soon as mid-September.
The decision was prompted by surging COVID case numbers around the country and concerns that the effectiveness of the vaccines appears to wane over time.
“I am excited about the possibility of ensuring a booster vaccine for those who need it,” said Dr. Matthew Harris, medical director of Northwell Health’s vaccination program.
“Right now, that is for people who are immune-compromised,” he continued. “I do anticipate that that population will be broadened in the months to come. This is our opportunity to get one more step ahead of the pandemic.”
Northwell Health is ready to start a third-dose vaccination drive and has plenty of supplies, according to Harris.
The Bergen County Vaccination Center in New Jersey launched a similar effort Tuesday.
Third doses are available to eligible patients at publicly run vaccination sites in the five boroughs, according to the city Health Department.
In New Hyde Park on Tuesday, David Chiang, a 60-yearold doctor and cancer patient, extolled the opportunity to get jabbed for the third time.
“As a physician, once I saw the publication of literature that there is good evidence for the vaccine, I am very confident to get another shot just to advocate and show it’s something we should not take lightly,” said Chiang, a Long Island resident.